Volkswagen Polo Owners Manual: Petrol

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings 

Petrol types

Vehicles with a petrol engine must be run on unleaded petrol in compliance with the European standard EN 228  . Fuels with a maximum ethanol content of 10% (E10) can be used for refuelling.

Petrol types are categorised according to their octane number, e.g. 91, 95, 98 or 99 RON (RON = research octane number). The vehicle may be filled with petrol that has a higher octane number than the engine requires. However, this does not provide any advantage in terms of fuel consumption or engine output. Where petrol complying with the EN 228 standard is not available, Volkswagen dealerships and filling stations will have information on which fuels do comply with the EN 228 standard.

Volkswagen recommends using fuel with a low sulphur content or sulphur-free fuel for petrol engines in order to achieve reduced fuel consumption.

Petrol additives

The quality of petrol influences the running properties, performance and service life of the engine. This is why the vehicle should be refuelled with good quality petrol that has only non-metallic additives pre-added by the petroleum industry. These petrol additives help to prevent corrosion, keep the fuel system clean, and prevent the build-up of deposits in the engine.

If good quality petrol containing non-metallic additives is not available, or if engine problems arise, the necessary petrol additives must be added to the petrol when refuelling  .

Volkswagen recommends genuine Volkswagen or Audi fuel additives for petrol engines. These additives and information on how to use them are available from your Volkswagen dealership.

Not all petrol additives are effective. The use of unsuitable petrol additives can cause considerable damage to the engine and catalytic converter. Metallic additives should be avoided at all times.

Petrol additives on sale that are intended to improve knock resistance or increase the octane number can also contain metallic additives  .

NOTICE

• Before filling up with petrol, check whether the fuel corresponds to the vehicle's requirements according to the fuel standard information at the pump.

• Only use fuel that complies with the EN 228 standard and has the correct octane number. Otherwise, the engine and the fuel system can suffer considerable damage. The engine can also lose power or fail.

• The use of unsuitable petrol additives can cause considerable damage to the engine and catalytic converter.

• If, in an emergency, you have to use petrol with an octane number lower than the recommended number, drive at medium engine speeds and avoid high engine loading. Avoid high engine speeds and heavy engine loads. Failure to do so can result in engine damage. Fill the tank with petrol with the correct octane number as soon as possible.

• Fuels that are identified at the fuel pump as containing metallic additives may not be used. LRP fuel (lead replacement petrol) also contains high concentrations of metallic additives. Risk of engine damage!

• Just one tankful of leaded fuel, or fuel containing other metallic additives, can seriously impair the efficiency of the catalytic converter and can also cause considerable damage to the catalytic converter and engine.